Scope for Sheep Hunting Rifle

Nightforce nxs 2.5x10x 32, with NPR2 reticle. Put this on my lightweight 300wm I use for hunting where I have to pack in. Had it on 3 hunts this year, elk , muley, and goat. The goat hunt was 8 days, getting rained on most of the time! Rifle, scope wound up under water a couple of times (river crossings with fast rising current) , slipped, fell, and somersaulted coming down mountains a few times( steep,wet, nasty slopes, and yes I'm going to goat hunt again next year.) After all the abuse, scope held zero. Pricey but optics are great, IMO, after this trip I bought my second NF(3.5X15) slowly trying to sell off my Leupolds so I can buy another NF.
Jeff

Forgot to add my 2.5x10 has hunter turrents and not the target turrents.

 

Leupold VX3 4.5-14x50 illuminated duplex reticle with the CDS turret. This is much lighter than the Nightforce but will gather much more light than the 2.5-10x32 Nightforce scopes. Weight matters on a hunt high in the mountains — but so does seeing your target.

My second choice would be a Nightforce 3.5-15x50. Great scope, just a bit heavy for mountain climbing. Nightforce is supposed to be releasing a Velocity 1,000 reticle in the 3.5-15x50 in January 2011. That or the Horus reticle would be my top reticle choices so you would be prepared for an almost instantaneous shot if you don't have time to crank turrets.

Swarovski, Zeiss, Kahles, Schmidt & Bender & others make great scopes but start your search with the two above, learn their performance & then make others beat the performance of these two.

 

I'd look at one of the Zeiss Victory scopes, maybe in the 3-12 range. They have some of the best glass and also some of the lightest 30mm tubed scopes. Either that or a Schmidt and Bender.

 

If you're hunting sheep in Montana, I would recommend the largest scope you can find to help you accomodate the varmiting portion of the consideration. Montana sheep hunters can walk from their stationwagons to shoot B&C sheep. In Idaho, I would second the Nightforce 2.5-10x24 or x32 because that's what I put on my sheep rifle for duribility, weight and size. I need something that I can carry on seemingly vertical terrain, in terrible conditions, for a week.

Good question! How does one balance a purchase that will be the best for the most grueling hunt in the lower 48 and gophers!

 

Just went throught the same dilema, chose the Leupy 4.5x14x40 mil dot, 1 inch. This was on a super light weight rifle used for pack hunts. This gave me all the magnifcation I needed in a much lighter package and optional hold over with the mil dot in addition to the Kenton Turret. Took the rifle on an Alaskan goat hunt and wished it was half the weight! LOL (weight just under 6lbs topped).

Schmidts and NF are excellent scopes but for those of us climbing mountains the weight is consideration! Even the this Leupy is on the heavy side.

 

I've been on two sheep hunts. The first I had a 3x9 Leupold Compact on a 700 30-06. Next one I had a Rem TI in 06 again, topped with a VX-III in 2.5-8. Both guns are gone now, replaced by a custom 7-08, which had a 2.5-8, but just got upgraded to a 3.5-10 CDS that's only 2 ounces more, but better latitude for mounting, and perfect for the max ranges I'll shoot to. Long way around to say you might wanna consider that one or the 4.5-14 CDS version for a dual purpose rig. I'm a huge Nightforce fan, but I don't think I'd run one on a sheep/goat rifle.

 

i dont know anything about sheep hunting, but im assuming its relatively long range hunting. 10x might be enough, in which case you can go the nxs 2.5-10 or even better (imo) go with IOR's 2.5-10x42 ffp mil/mil. better price and bigger objective to gather more light. matching reticle and adjustments means less to think about when ranging and dialing. ffp means reticle is accurate at any power. if you dont ever use the reticle and have a LRF, that might not be as important to you. however, batteries do die, so do spare batteries. if 10x isn't enough, id go with nxs 3-15x50.

in a perfect world i would have a nxs 3-15x50 F1 MLR with HS turrets and ZS. way out of my budget though.

 

As stated above the NF 2.5-10 is an excellent choice, but a little heavy ( 19 0zs. ). If you are going to be cranking turrets constantly then I would also suggest the Leupold VX-3 30MM LR scopes. These have tons of adjustments and have the same internals as the Mark 4's. Repeatability has been 100% for me. I have the 4.5-14 ( 15 ozs. ) and 6.5-20 ( 15.6 ozs. ) and I have been very pleased with them both. I know that 4 ozs. does not seem like a lot but it all adds up even base and rings make a difference. I was going to buy the NF but could not find one so I bought the 4.5-14 Leupold and I have never considered changing it out. All that being said my sheep rifle is:

Remington Model 700 Titanium
7MM-08 Ackley
22" Shilen barrel
Shilen trigger
Leupold 3-9 compact
Leupold PRW rings and bases
Berger 140 VLD's and/or Barnes 120 TTSX

As you can see this rifle is exclusively a mountain rifle which is different than yours, but I would recommend that you look at all options when it comes to choices. In the mountains every ounce makes a difference. My favorite scope is my new NF 5.5-22x50 w/ zero stop and speed turret but I would never put it on a rifle where I would be climbing vertical mountains. Good luck with your decision and remember that most of us evolve in our hunting styles. What we like today will most certainly change tomorrow.

 

S&B Precission hunter 3-12x42 is an excellent compact with dial able elevation turret or get the same scope with Hollands ART reticule

 

Reticals with lites, extra batteries, 30mm steel tubes. Man I wish I would have been on some of the sheep and goat hunts others have or least been in that good of shape to pack everything. You should add a flashlight in case you want to shoot at night. LOL

 

Minox Za5 2-10X40 or 3-15X42.....both under 15ozs.......

 

Which ever one {scope} you decide on, get one that you can work with in the wind; good “wind reticle” is a must for sheep hunting... Ballistic drop and angle cosign problems you can work through mathematically. Wind on the other hand, is where you need a reliable system for gauging the stand off on the target; the ability to us the reticle and understand the reticle in wind and gusting winds can make all the difference... So get a reticle that allows you to make those small changes on the target’…, changes that you can “positively define clearly” as you make them.
The second thing that comes to mind is; “clarity” over “scope power”, defining the impact point that you want on the animal and the reticle together is what really gets the job done.
With that said…. My choice for reticle would be the Leupold TMR. Power? Well…. that’s what ever your eye tells you, is right.
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